Although many Westerners have come up with their own versions of meditation, the true Masters come from the East -- specifically from the traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that have existed for centuries and passed down their meditation techniques for the actualization of tranquility and Enlightenment.

The sanskrit word dhyana means meditation, and was practiced in India as the way to Enlightened Consciousness. When the Indian Master Bodhidharma traveled to China to teach dhyana, the word translated into Chinese as chan, where the teaching proliferated. Then it spread to Japan, and the word chan was translated zen. Zen means "meditation."

When Maharishi brought TM, Krishnamurti brought Advaita (non-duality), and Alan Watts & D.T. Suzuki brought Zen to America, the unitary understanding from the East was transplanted in the West. Since then, yoga and meditation have contributed to the health and well-being of thousands of Americans, in addition to being an introduction to a much deeper level of understanding of our True Reality.

Although many Western versions of meditation include visualization techniques, meditation itself is the stilling of the mind (the "I thought" or ego) from which all problems arise. In The Yoga Sutra, it states that at the proper time one will undertake the practice of Yoga (i.e. Meditation). This entails complete mastery over the modifications of the mind. Then, when the roaming tendency of the mind is overcome, there is cessation of thought, and the Seer becomes established in its True Nature.

For those who just need a "quick fix" for stress, click here for Instant Bliss. However, if you would like to go into it more deeply, there are excellent books available to help. We have listed a number of them on the Reading List, which follows. In addition, there are also Meditation Techniques, that can be practiced wherever you go.

Although one normally assumes that meditation must be practiced in a quiet setting, it is also possible to learn Meditation in Activity. Since stress arises in the middle of one's everyday life where there is chaos and confusion, it is far more advantageous to learn to come back to the still-point immediately, dropping the stress HERE & NOW! A Zen Master once said, "Meditation in activity is a thousand, no ten-thousand times better than meditation in repose."

M I N D F U L N E S S

There are two aspects to meditation that are both essential in opening a deeper understanding of Who We Are. The first, Mindfulness Meditation which has come from Theravada Buddhism, and which is also practiced (to a lesser degree) in Zen. The term "Mindfulness" can be confusing for a novice, who has already been told that the little mind will drop off in meditation. However, "Mindfulness" refers not to the ego or "I thought," but to the BIG MIND, the "Mind-at-Large" or formless Consciousness of Totality that is unconscious. "Mindfulness" is meditation in activity, or paying attention in every moment prior to the arising of thought.

It was Hui-Neng, the greatest of all Zen (Chan) Masters who laughed at the monk who was sitting in meditation to become a Buddha. He told him that he would never become a Buddha this way, because the Buddha has no fixed position. It is a wonderful, quiet haven for Americans to go to a Zen Center and sit in on a sesshin (for a whole week, with no talking). However, unless the meditation continues after the sesshin is over, it is of little value (unless one wants to spend life as a monk or hermit).

S E L F - I N Q U I R Y

In addition to quieting the superficial mind to become aware of "what is," the second element of meditation is inquiring as to the nature of the "I thought," or in other words asking "Who am I?" So, it takes awareness in two directions: outwardly, paying attention to what is happening NOW in THIS moment, and inwardly penetrating to the root Source of one's Being. Self-inquiry has best been taught by the Advaita Vedanta Masters of non-duality, such as Sri Ramana Maharshi, J. Krishnamurti, Ramesh Balsekar, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and H.W.L Poonja ("Papaji").

Many of the early Chinese Zen (Chan) Masters also emphasized "seeing into one's nature," for without that Great Spirit of Inquiry, it is impossible to discover the Buddha-nature of Awakened Consciousness that lies within.

The following excerpt comes from Vedantic Meditation and is an excellent summary for the more Advanced Meditator:

"Perhaps the easiest approach to Self-Inquiry is what is called 'discrimination between the Seer and the seen.' This can be outlined in a few steps.

1.	First, one discriminates the Seer from the external objects in one's environment, which constantly change though the Seer remains the same. For example, the eye is not blemished by imperfections in the objects that it sees.
2.	Second, one discriminates the Seer from the sense organs. There are several senses and each varies in acuity, but the Seer of the senses is constant and not altered by their fluctuations. For example, the mind can witness imperfections in the eye, like lack of acuity or blurring of vision.
3.	Third, one discriminates between the Seer and mental states. Thoughts and feelings continually change but the Seer, if we look deeply, remains the same. For example, the Seer of anger does not cease to be when anger itself passes away.
4.	Fourth, one discriminates between the Seer and the ego, between the pure-I and the I identified with body, emotion or thought. Then the pure Self devoid of external associations can shine forth. For example, we can witness our ego states like pride and dejection, just as we can observe shifting sensation or emotions.
5.	Fifth, one abides in the pure Self devoid of objectivity, letting all the contents of the mind come and go like waves and bubbles on the sea.
	It is best to do this process by degrees, taking one's time at each stage. All is contained in the fifth state of abiding as the Seer. When we return to the state of the Seer, all that we see merges back into the light of seeing, revealing its nature as pure Consciousness."